Luna Technologies, provider of fiber-optic test and sensing instruments, has introduced its latest Optical Backscatter Reflectometer. The OBR 4600 offers sophisticated inspection and diagnostic capabilities for fiber-optic developers, by providing high resolution and high sensitivity measurements of networks and optical fiber assemblies, measuring a maximum of 2 km. The device is utilized in various applications, such as distributed thermal monitoring, structural health monitoring, and load testing.
OBR 4600 Optical Backscatter Reflectometer
The OBR 4600 has the capacity to inspect optical assemblies and networks, with a combination of distance range, sensitivity, and spatial resolution. The OBR 4600 allows users to locate, examine and troubleshoot faults point by point in an optical assembly, and to individually characterize the inspection loss and return loss. The OBR’s resolution and sensitivity allow users to conveniently measure, and differentiate between a loss at a connector, a bend, a splice, or a coupler.
The new version of the optical backscatter reflectometer allows measurements to be taken at more than 10 times the speed in fast scanning mode, and at two times the speed in normal operation mode. Users can measure and troubleshoot small fiber segments at maximum repetition rates of 3 Hz. The OBR offers a tool for complete distributed sensing, by utilizing an optical fiber as the sensor. It determines the temperature or strain changes in the fiber through measurement of the Rayleigh scatter, which is reflected from the fiber.